not impossible

By Mick Ebeling

Co-authored by Philip Lerman

What if you discovered, quite by accident, that you could change the world?

Mick Ebeling – a film and TV producer by trade, an optimist by nature – set out on a simple act of kindness, which quickly turned into a lifelong mission. In the process he discovered that he could, indeed, change the world. And, as he recounts his own adventures in this fast-paced, fascinating new book, he shows you how you can, too.

On the cutting edge of the new “Maker Movement,” Ebeling has found ways to create new, simple, do-it-yourself technologies to help people surmount seemingly impossible odds. With some nuts and bolts, a few jimmy-rigged web cameras, and a coat hanger, he made it possible for a paralyzed artist to draw again. The result was a world-changing invention known as the Eyewriter, a device that tracks eye movements and translates them into a cursor on a screen, and allows the user to create art. Time magazine called it one of the “Top 50 Inventions of 2010.”

But a bigger challenge lay ahead: Mick learned of a young boy in Sudan named Daniel, whose arms had been blown off in the war. Would there be a way to create a simple prosthetic arm for this boy, Daniel, using just a 3D printer? Could anyone even find Daniel in the chaos of Sudan? And could Mick pull this mission off in a country on the brink of a civil war?

Then the question becomes: What other great challenges – and what other great inventions – might be made “not impossible”?

From the beginning, Ebeling has dreamed big, but that doesn’t mean his accomplishments have come easily. He’s had to deal with the voice in his head we all recognize—the skeptical, disbelieving one that says, “Sorry, this ain’t gonna happen.” Yet he found the courage to ignore that voice and move on. And believe. And get things done.

Fascinating, inspiring, and a true testament to the power of determination, Not Impossible is bursting with optimism and new ideas. It will motivate you to believe that all problems have the ability to be solved—and that you have the ability to change the world and make miracles happen.

Raised in a family of entrepreneurs and philanthropists, Mick Ebeling is the executive producer and founder of The Ebeling Group, an international production company and creative think tank, and recipient of nearly every advertising award including the Titanium Cannes Lion. He is also the founder of Not Impossible, an organization that develops accessible, creative solutions to real-world problems. An internationally acclaimed speaker, Ebeling has spoken before Fortune 500 companies and given multiple TED talks on the subject of making the impossible possible. He lives in Venice Beach with his wife, Caskey, and three sons.